The Mary B II Capsizes: ‘3 Fishermen Dead’

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The U.S. Coast Guard in Yaquina bay responding to the Mary B II capsize.

The Mary B II, a Newport, Oregon, crab fishing boat that was reportedly featured in the “Deadliest Catch,” on the Discovery Channel, has capsized in Yaquina Bay. The incident occurred late on January 8, according to a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard. The agency said that one fisherman was thrown into the water and was rescued. Two fishermen were initially reported to have been missing with the Coast Guard continuing the search amid 12-to 14-foot seas. Yaquina Bay is located around 130 miles southwest of Portland. Multiple local media reports mentioned the boat’s appearance on the Discovery Channel.

The vessel capsized close to the entrance of the bay at around midnight while the Coast Guard escorted the 42-foot boat across the sound, reported local ABC affiliate KEZI.

The KEZI report says that two members were pulled from the water early on January 9. The station described the two men as being “unresponsive” and were being taken to a local hospital. One of those men, James Lacey, 48, was later pronounced dead.

Speaking to CBS affiliate KPIC, Petty Officer Levi Reed said, “We did everything we could. Unfortunately, it was just a tragic outcome and our hearts and thoughts are with the family and friends of the crew.”

KMTR, the local NBC affiliate, reports that one of those men has been pronounced dead. Another fisherman was found dead in the hull of the boat. He has been named as skipper Stephen Biernacki. While another was found dead having washed up on the shore, the station said. He was named as Joshua Porter. The incident is being investigated by the Oregon State Police.

The Mary B II was featured in the “Deadliest Catch” spin-off titled, “Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove.” The premise of the spin-off was to show the dangers of crossing Yaquina Bay. There is no mention on the show’s IMDb page that one of the boats featured in the show was the Mary B II.